


Light and Dark

by pigeonking



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 13:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10492251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonking/pseuds/pigeonking
Summary: This is a story that I wrote as a favour for a friend featuring the female incarnation of the Doctor that he created (based on the actress Rebecca Hall). My brief was to write a story where the Doctor encounters a superhero and bear in mind that this was BEFORE last year's The Return of Doctor Mysterio.My friend has a website dedicated to the adventures of his female Doctor.Here is a link to it if anyone wants to check it out...http://doctorwhovortex.webstarts.com/





	

Chester Russell was drunk. And why shouldn’t he be? He had lost everything that meant anything to him in his miserable, sorry excuse for a life. Today had been the day when his divorce papers had come through. Thirteen years of marriage gone and flushed away down the drain just like that.

Good, he thought to himself foggily as he stumbled his way home down the dark and lonely New England country lane. The bar tender had taken away his keys and made him walk home. Miserable son of a… the thought broke off and he stumbled to his knees. He missed her already. Not his wife, Peggy… she could rot in Hell so far as he was concerned. No, he missed his beautiful twelve year old daughter, Abigail. The courts had granted full custody to Peggy on the grounds that he was unfit to be a full time father because of his lapse into alcoholism. A lapse that had coincided with his wife’s sudden desire to divorce him six months ago. Funny how that had happened!

She said that she’d fallen out of love with him. He was not the man she had married and apparently he just didn’t excite her anymore! What the Hell did that even mean?

Now the courts were saying that he couldn’t see his daughter again until he’d kicked his alcohol problem. Right now all he wanted to do was embrace the alcohol and drown his sorrows and that was exactly what he’d done.

“Come on, Chester!” he rebuked himself with a drunken slur. “You gotta pull yourself together so you can see Abby again.”

If he couldn’t do it for himself he had to do it for his daughter.

There was a sudden flash and Chester raised his hands to shield his eyes as he found himself bathed in a blinding white light.

Through the gaps in his fingers he could make out a vast round shape floating over him.

“Oh great!” he slurred. “Figures with my luck I’d have to go and get myself abducted by freakin’ aliens!”

Then Chester screamed as he felt as if his body was being torn apart from within.

One minute Chester Russell had been kneeling in the middle of the road, bathed in light, the next he was gone and with him went the light and the large round shape receded up into the night sky.

 

It was a beautiful, clear sunny day on Castle Island situated at the Boston harbour in the New England state of Massachusetts. Many people had turned out for picnics or just to enjoy the park and there were just as many tourists that had come to visit Castle William, the old fortification that took centre stage on the island. Island was no longer an accurate description as it had long since been connected to the main land by a specially created strip of land.

Among this gentle buzzing of activity somehow the arrival of a blue police telephone box, fading noisily into existence at the base of the previously mentioned fort, went unnoticed.

The light on top stopped flashing and the doors opened to allow the box’s occupants to spill forth. There were three of them. Taking the lead was a strikingly attractive woman with long black hair that billowed in the gentle breeze. She wore a long black coat over a black blouse with a ruffled collar and cuffs that protruded from the sleeves of the jacket. Tanned brown riding britches and long knee high leather boots completed the outfit.

Behind her was another young woman with a tousled, unkempt nest of blonde hair. She was wearing a tanned leather waistcoat over a white man’s shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Her black trousers were complimented by ankle length leather riding boots.

The third and final occupant of the mysterious box was a young man with short dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. He wore an ensemble similar to that of his sister, but his waistcoat was black, as were his boots and his trousers were a light brown.

“Where have you brought us this time, Doctor?” the young man asked.

“You might actually be pleasantly surprised, Allan!” the dark haired woman answered him. “This is Castle Island in Boston, Massachusetts. Your home stomping grounds. Give or take a few miles and centuries. I thought you might like to see an example of twenty first century New England.”

“There certainly seem to be a lot more… people.” The other young woman remarked simply.

“On a gorgeous day like this, can you blame them?” the Doctor beamed and opened her arms expressively as if she were embracing the air. “Look at that view!”

Ahead of them, beyond the mass of tourists and picnickers there lay an expanse of open water. A tall stone, needle-like monolith stood at the centre of this glorious tableau. Allan and his sister, Chelsea could not deny that the view was indeed spectacular.

“And if you look behind us!” the Doctor put a hand on each of their shoulders and turned them around so that they were looking at the magnificent example of architecture that was Castle William. It looked like a medieval stone castle that had been built around a luscious green hill. Tourists could be seen walking along the top of this hill and the familiar colours of the United States stars and stripes flag could be seen billowing from a flagpole over on the furthest turret.

“Very nice, Doctor.” Chelsea drawled sardonically. “Do let me know when the monsters arrive.”

“Just once can we enjoy a trip without any monsters?” Allan protested.

“Allan, my dear brother, where would be the fun in that?” Chelsea had turned to head back into the police box, but found that the door had been pulled shut.

“Your brother is right, Chelsea. I think we’ve earned a little break, don’t you?” the Doctor scalded gently.

Chelsea rolled her eyes like a tempestuous teenager.

“Oh, come on let’s get it over with!” she grumbled and allowed herself to be led off by the Doctor and Allan, both taking an arm each.   

 

Martin Johnson had been flying tours with Boston Helicopters for over fifteen years now. In that time he must have flown this route over the Boston coastline about sixteen thousand times or more. He never got bored with the view or with telling his passengers about the history of the sights that they were seeing from the unique perspective that being in a helicopter gave them.

In all that time Martin had also never experienced any troubles with his trusty and reliable Robinson R-22 helicopter. His company prided themselves in keeping their helicopters maintained on a daily basis so that nothing could ever go wrong.

All of that was about to change today.

No amount of maintenance could have prepared Martin and his helicopter for an unexpected collision with a foreign element falling from the sky. The foreign object in question was a meteor that had entered Earth’s atmosphere and whose trajectory, as it burned through the sky, just happened to coincide with the flight path of Martin’s helicopter tour.

At the moment of impact the meteor had burned itself down to the size of golf ball, but even at such a relatively small size, the speed at which it was travelling gave it the power of a tiny missile as it interfered with the rotation of the upper blades and caused one of them to buckle and snap off as if it were just a wooden twig.

Martin immediately lost control of the helicopter and it began to drop out of the sky just as they were passing over Castle Island.

 

The Doctor, Chelsea and Allan had gained entry to Castle William and they were exploring the green hilly interior of the old fort when Chelsea spotted the stricken helicopter spiralling down towards them at an alarming rate.

“Doctor, look! That flying machine is falling straight for us!” Chelsea pointed urgently.

The Doctor looked on in horror as the helicopter spun closer and closer to the ground.

Other people had spotted it and were running about in all directions in their efforts to escape what would become ground zero when the helicopter hit the castle.

The Doctor’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly. There was no time for her to act. How ironic to be a Time Lord without any time. Was this really how she would regenerate? Crushed to death by a falling helicopter? And what about Chelsea and Allan? They would not regenerate at all! They would just be dead.

And then something truly bizarre and unexpected happened.

A white blur zipped in front of the tumbling helicopter; a blur which resolved itself into the form of a man who braced himself as he caught the stricken chopper in his hands as though he were just catching a cricket ball. The man was dressed from head to toe in white. White boots, gloves, tunic… Hell there was even a white cape billowing behind him and some sort of white helmet covering his head.

“What on Earth…?” the Doctor mouthed silently.

The man flew, still carrying the helicopter, over to an area of ground that was clear of people and carefully set down the craft and it occupants.

“You’re safe now!” the mysteriously garbed stranger declared in a strong authoritive voice.

The Doctor, Chelsea and Allan ran over to where the occupants of the helicopter, four passengers and the pilot, were disembarking, shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

As they drew nearer the Doctor took in more of the strange man’s attire. From the front she could see that his helmet only covered the top half of his face. His eyes and the top of his nose were covered by a white Perspex visor. A strong, handsome looking chin, slightly stubbled was visible beneath. The front of his tunic, which looked like it was made from some sort of Kevlar bullet-proof armour, was emblazoned with a yellow lightning bolt insignia.

“Thank you, Light Speed. I don’t understand what happened?” the pilot was saying as he took a moment to shake his saviour’s hand.

“It’s a good thing I was passing.” Light Speed replied. “I saw the whole thing. A meteor struck your rotor blades. Damned unlucky if you ask me!”

“No, sir!” the pilot disagreed. “If you ask me we were damned lucky that you came along when you did!”

“Please stop!” the Doctor demanded as she approached. “Any more cheese and I might just vomit!”

The pilot glared at this rude stranger. Light Speed also seemed taken aback by the Doctor’s rather abrupt outburst.

“That was amazing, sir! How did you manage to do that?” came Allan’s somewhat more diplomatic remark.

This response was something that Light Speed was more used to. He ignored the Doctor and turned his attention to the young man.

“Trade secret, young man! If I told you I’d have to kill you!” a wry grin flashed beneath the visor.

“But seriously though, how did you do it? Are you an alien?” the Doctor badgered onwards.

Allan looked somewhat flummoxed by the answer he had received. It was quite possible he hadn’t realised that Light Speed had only been joking.

The Doctor had taken out her sonic screwdriver and was using it to scan Light Speed who looked rather uncomfortable and perplexed by the unwanted scrutiny.

“No, not an alien. You’re definitely human, but there’s definitely something not of this world about you. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to do… well… any of the things you seem capable of. What are you exactly capable of? Is there more?” the Doctor was rambling, half to herself and half to whomever wanted to listen.

“Who are you?” Light Speed asked her. He could sense that there was something a bit off about this strange woman.

“I’m the Doctor.” She told him. “These are my two friends Chelsea and Allan Nest. Not married, they’re siblings. Is there somewhere private where we could talk?”

 

High up in orbit the occupants of a huge spherical space ship were monitoring the events that were unfolding on Earth between the Doctor and Light Speed.

“Who is this woman?” one sibilant voice spoke out.

“She seems to know far more than any human should!” another replied.

“Is the experiment threatened?”

“It is too soon to tell, but perhaps we should accelerate to the next phase ahead of schedule?”

“Very well!” the first voice hissed. “Begin Phase 4!”

 

Light Speed had led the Doctor and her friends to a secluded part of the island where there were fewer people about to overhear them. The majority of the visitors had flocked to the scene of the helicopter to see what was going on so finding an uncrowded area had been easier than they had initially anticipated.

“Okay.” Light Speed said once he was satisfied that no bystanders would be able to eavesdrop. “What do you have to say to me that requires such privacy?”

“Tell me your story.” The Doctor prompted, getting right to the point. “You’re a superhero, right? A real life, honest to Rassilon superhero.  And all superheroes have origin stories. I want you to tell me yours.”

“And why should I do that?” Light Speed demanded.

“Because superheroes aren’t real! That’s why.” The Doctor replied bluntly. “You shouldn’t exist, yet here you are. I want to know why and I want to know if you’re a threat to this planet.”

“A threat?” Light Speed bristled angrily. “Why would I be a threat? You said it yourself, lady… I’m a superhero and one half of that word is ‘hero’! Heroes are not a ‘threat’ to anybody except wrongdoers and purveyors of injustice!”

“Oh please! Listen to yourself! You sound like you’re paraphrasing one of those old fashioned black and white serials that they used to show in movie theatres! Nobody really talks like that!” the Doctor retorted trying hard to fight back a smirk.

“I talk like that, okay? You got a problem with the way I talk?” Light Speed was liking the Doctor less and less with every passing second.

“Oh no, please, by all means! Continue to spout your gibberish. I like to laugh as much as the next person, really I do!” the Doctor snickered.

“Doctor, be reasonable. At least give the man a chance to explain himself.” Allan cut in.

“No, I’m sorry. You’re right, Allan.” The Doctor forced herself to stop giggling like a child and put on a serious face. “You have convinced me, Light Speed… Do I really have to call you that? Sorry… You have convinced me that you’re not a threat. You honestly believe in what you’re saying, no matter how cheesy it sounds, and I commend you for wanting to do something responsible with your powers. However, I still would like to know how you came by them?”

“But why?” Light Speed persisted.

“You may not be a threat to the Earth, but if, as I suspect, your powers are of an extra-terrestrial origin then it is possible that the life forms who gave you your power may have intentions that are not as honourable as your own. They may intend to use you, against your will, as a weapon against your own planet.” The Doctor explained.

“I see.” The mere thought of such a possibility was a sobering one. “I wouldn’t want that. If telling my story will help you to prevent that then by all means I will tell it!”

“Thank you.” The Doctor replied and she offered him a warm and genuine smile.

Light Speed smiled back.

“It all started when…”

A black blur slammed into Light Speed and sent the superhero hurling like a rock from a slingshot right through the wall of the nearby fortification.

The black blur then shot up into the sky before coming to a standstill in mid-air, hovering over where Light Speed lay sprawled and dazed amongst a dusty pile of debris.

The figure was an exact copy of Light Speed, but where the hero’s costume was all in white, this individual’s costume – cape, tunic, boots, gloves and helmet – was all in black.

He looked down on the stunned superhero with an air of malevolent disdain and contempt.

“You have met your match now, Light Speed, for I am your nemesis… Dark Speed!”  

“Oh my God! Are you going to be as cheesy as he is?” the Doctor complained.

Dark Speed turned his head to look at the Doctor and her companions.

“And who might you be, insect?” the villain rasped.

“I actually know quite a few insects that are better conversationalists than you could ever hope to be, so I’ll take that as a compliment.” The Doctor replied.

“I should crush you for such insolence!” Dark Speed snarled; the lower visible half of his face twisted into an ugly grimace.

“You’ll have to go through me first, villain!” it was Light Speed, back on his feet (or at least back in the air). He hurtled towards Dark Speed as quick as his name suggested and slammed a fist into the villain’s jaw. The effect of the blow was devastating and sent Dark Speed flying off out towards the sea, cartwheeling in mid-air as he went.

He would have ended up in the water if he had not been able to right himself and check his descent.

Dark Speed zipped back, aiming himself like a missile, fist-first towards his heroic nemesis.

Light Speed saw the attack coming and fired himself off at Dark Speed to meet the charge head on, his pose and stance matching the villain’s exactly.

The Doctor, Chelsea and Allan watched from below and a fair few others had taken notice of the aerial conflict as well.

Both super powered beings collided head on in mid-air and the impact sent them both hurtling backwards, like two opposite ions being repelled. There was a blinding flash of white-dark light as the two of them came together and were then flung apart again. This time Dark Speed did end up in the sea and Light Speed was sent crashing through another wall of the castle.

“Now that’s interesting.” The Doctor mused quietly, half to herself.

“What’s interesting?” Chelsea wondered.

“Not entirely sure yet.” The Doctor confessed. “Let’s just say I have a theory.”

“Shouldn’t we go and see if Light Speed is alright?” Allan asked.

The Doctor rolled her eyes.

“I suppose, if we must.”

Together they ran over to where the hero had fallen and had been buried under yet more debris.

“There won’t be much of this castle left by the time these two are finished!” the Doctor muttered testily.

Behind them Dark Speed was already rising out of the water.

Even Light Speed was beginning to rise from the rubble, flicking dust off of his costume.

“Nice to see that you’re none the worse for wear!” the Doctor remarked.

“I would stand back, Doctor. I would not have you or any other innocent bystanders getting hurt.” Light Speed warned her.

“Listen, Light Speed.” The Doctor went on. “I have a theory about you and your… nemesis, but I’d need you both to stop fighting if I’m going to be able to prove it.”

“Doctor, it is not I that you need to convince!” Light Speed replied regretfully, nodding for her to look over her shoulder.

The Doctor turned and saw that Dark Speed was zooming towards them with mayhem in mind.

Light Speed launched into the air and raced to meet the villain half way.

This time before the two super beings could come together Dark Speed did something that was quite unexpected. He extended his hands before him and black lightning burst forth from his finger tips and struck Light Speed head on.

Light Speed writhed in agony and dropped from the air like a stricken pheasant. He struck the ground as hard as a bullet, throwing up dirt and debris to make a man-sized crater.

Once again the Doctor was rolling her eyes in a ‘here we go again’ fashion as she and her friends ran to the superhero’s aid.

Dark Speed hovered over the fallen hero, gloating.

“You are weak and pathetic, Light Speed. No wonder she left you!” the villain taunted. “I will now go and take back what is rightfully mine!” With those words Dark Speed cackled maniacally and flew off, rapidly becoming a black blur disappearing into the horizon.

This time Light Speed did need help from the Doctor, Chelsea and Allan to get back onto his feet.

“I must… get after… him.” The hero slurred weakly; he shrugged himself away from the Doctor and Chelsea and stumbled forward a few steps before falling to his knees. Light Speed pounded the earth with his fist in frustration.

“You’re not in a position to be going anywhere at the moment.” The Doctor observed. “That black lightning took a lot out of you. It’ll take a bit longer for you to get your strength back this time.”

“I cannot afford to wait!” Light Speed protested. “I know where he intends to go!”

“If you trust me I can get you there before he does.” The Doctor promised. “I have a time machine.”

Light Speed looked up at her and accepted the hand up that she offered. He smiled grimly.

“Take me to your time machine, Doctor.” He replied. 

 

Light Speed gawped in wonder at the vastness of the control room inside the TARDIS upon entering.

The Doctor smirked, used to this reaction long ago and made a beeline for the six-sided console in the centre of the room. She pulled the lever that closed the doors as soon as Chelsea and Allan were in and then dematerialised.

“Right, when I was scanning you with my sonic screwdriver I detected a unique energy signature emanating from within you that is definitely not of terrestrial origin.” The Doctor proclaimed as she busied herself pulling levers and switches. The column in the centre of the console rose and fell steadily. “Dark Speed is so much like you in every other way that I would be willing to wager that he is giving off the exact same energy signature. That is how we’re going to track him down!”

“I already know where he is going!” Light Speed reminded her.

“Oh yes, I remember that, but it’s so difficult to be exact with the TARDIS. Even if you gave me the address we still might over shoot by several hundred meters… or kilometres. This energy signature gives us something to lock onto!” the Doctor explained.

“But that means he’ll already be there and we’ll be too late!” Light Speed protested.

“Trust me!” the Doctor smiled at him. “I know what I’m doing!”

“So where is this ruffian heading to?” Allan asked.

“No time to answer that now!” the Doctor interrupted. “We’re already there!”

 

Abigail Russell was sat in the middle of the lawn in her back garden playing with her new puppy; a little chocolate brown Labrador retriever she’d named Trojan. Trojan had been a guilt gift from her mother soon after she had announced that she was divorcing Abigail’s father. Abigail had been miserable and depressed since the announcement and the recent finalisation of the divorce had not made her feel any better. She loved both of her parents and had not wanted them to split up. Abigail had asked her mother not to divorce her daddy, had begged her tearfully to reconsider. Her mother’s response had been to buy the puppy.

Abigail had fallen instantly in love with the little bundle of fur, but as happy as it made her she still wanted her daddy to stay. The happiness that the puppy bought her was fleeting at most; an escape from the heartache, but not a release.

Right now she was escaping by throwing a little ball a little ways across the lawn and watching Trojan pounce on and worry the ball as if it were some sort of tasty chew treat.

She looked up briefly and saw a black blur in the sky.

It seemed to be heading straight for her.

Then something truly bizarre occurred… a howling and grinding noise rent the air and a mysterious blue box started to appear in front of her, obscuring her view of the black blur.

Around on the other side of the box two doors opened wide and a white blur shot out and hurtled like lightning to intercept the black blur.

As Abigail watched the white blur recede into the air three faces swam into her line of sight, peering at her from around the front of the box. The three faces looked to be stacked one on top of the other like a totem pole; a woman’s smiling face with dark hair was at the bottom, above her a man’s face, also smiling then finally another woman with lighter hair and again with the smiling.

“Hello there!” the dark haired woman’s face announced cheerfully.

 

“Stay away from my daughter!” Light Speed snarled furiously as he delivered a devastating punch to his enemy’s jaw that sent him reeling backwards.

Dark Speed recovered quickly and zipped forwards to deliver a couple of blows of his own.

“It’s your fault we’ve lost her! Mr Goody Two-Shoes, always playing it safe. No wonder she got bored.” The villain taunted. “Once I’m finished with you I’ll show Peggy just how interesting I can be, because now I am free! Free from you holding me back!”

Dark Speed kept up his assault as he ranted. His anger and fury seemed to put extra power into his punches and Light Speed had no chance to counter attack. Then as Light Speed hung groggily in mid-air, just barely able to keep himself flying, Dark Speed unleashed another barrage of his powerful black lightning.

Light Speed writhed in agony and felt the last of his strength ebb away until suddenly he was falling, falling back down to Earth.

The Doctor, Chelsea and Allan had observed the battle from below with Abigail.

“Incoming!” the Doctor remarked casually.

She and the others took three steps backwards and sure enough mere seconds later Light Speed ploughed into the earth, showering them with dirt.

The hero lay prone in the mini crater that he had formed, but his chest could be seen rising and falling, proof enough that he yet lived.

“Shouldn’t we try to help him?” Abigail asked as she absently ran her fingers through the fur of the puppy cradled in her arms.

“This is something that he needs to work out for himself.” The Doctor replied cryptically.

Dark Speed glided down and landed in the crater, towering over his fallen foe. He reached down and grabbed the front of Light Speed’s tunic in one fist and with the other hand he tore off the helmet, which was already askew from the violent landing.

“Daddy!” Abigail exclaimed as she recognised the face under the helmet.

Light Speed was her father, Chester Russell.

The Doctor nodded to herself as if she had suspected all along.

Dark Speed turned and looked at Abigail.

“This isn’t your ‘daddy’!” he spat contemptuously. “He doesn’t deserve to be!”

“And you do?” the Doctor countered.

Chelsea and Allan looked at her with puzzled bemusement.

“I see you’ve worked it out!” Dark Speed leered beneath his helmet. He dropped Light Speed and his helmet and then used both his freed hands to remove his own head-piece.

The helmet came away to reveal the face of… Chester Russell.

“But… How is this possible?” Allan protested.

“I’m not sure how it’s been done yet, or by whom, but I suspect that somehow this man has been split into two separate entities. One half encompassing all that is good in that person and the other half all that is evil. I don’t know where the power has come from, but I suspect that it was given to you by the same people that pulled you apart. You’re both being used!” the Doctor explained.

“Nobody uses Dark Speed!” the villain insisted.

“Like it or not, that is exactly what’s happening.” The Doctor went on. “The thing is, your two halves aren’t meant to be apart. On a metaphysical level they want to be reunited and the people who have done this to you are aware of this, which is why they have instilled you both with a repellent force field that is keeping you both apart. That is why when you hit each other the effect is so dramatic, flinging you both away from each other. That same power is probably where your lightning comes from and serves the same purpose of keeping your two halves from becoming whole again.”

“Why would I want to be reunited with that pathetic creature?” Dark Speed asked, pointing at the still prone Light Speed on the ground.

“You might not want to be, but deep down inside your two halves cannot exist one without the other.” The Doctor told him. “If you kill him, then you will die too.”

“Then I won’t kill him.” Dark Speed shrugged. “I’ll just lock him away somewhere forever where he won’t be a plague on my life anymore.”

“Daddy this isn’t like you!” Abigail protested. “You used to be nice!”

Dark Chester’s face softened as he looked at his daughter.

“Being nice is what drove your mother away from me. She always did like the bad boys. It was one of the things that drew her to me when we were at High School. We were both a couple of rebels back then; always getting into trouble for one reason or another. All that changed after you were born though, Abby. I couldn’t afford to be irresponsible then. I had to man up and be a proper father to you because when it comes down to it you’re the most important thing in the world to me.” Tears had begun to course down his grizzled cheeks half way through his explanation.

Light Speed had recovered sufficiently to prop himself up on one elbow and he had heard everything that his dark-counterpart had said.

“I know how you feel, buddy, because it’s exactly the same way I feel.” He said weakly. “Instead of fighting we should be working together. We can find the people who did this to us and make them put us back together, then as a whole we can sort out our lives… my life… We may not be able to win Peggy back, but we can at least make it so that she can’t refuse us spending time with Abigail once in a while. What do you say?”

Dark Chester stood still, shaking his head; unsure of how to answer.

“I think it sounds like a splendid proposal, if you ask me.” The Doctor opined. “But you don’t have to find the people that did this to you in order to become whole again…” She took out her sonic screwdriver. “I think I might be able to help you with that!”

“What is that thing going to do?” Dark Chester wondered disdainfully.

“Just you wait and see.” The Doctor smiled. “Light Speed, do you think you can stand?”

Light Chester began to try to scramble to his feet and everyone was surprised when Dark Chester turned to offer him a hand up. The hero accepted the hand gratefully and once upright took up a position standing next to his dark-half.

“Excellent!” the Doctor beamed. “Now we can begin… Oh, but before I do…”

“Yes?” Light Chester asked.

“What do I call you? All this Light Speed and Dark Speed nonsense is all getting a bit too much if you ask me!” the Doctor replied.

Everyone laughed at this, even Dark Chester.

“My…” Light Chester began and he looked at his evil twin and smiled grimly. “I mean ‘our’ name is Chester. Chester Russell.”

“Much better!” the Doctor nodded emphatically. “Right, Chester Russells, are you ready to become whole again?”

“Do your worst, Doc.” Light Chester replied.

The Doctor raised her sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the two Chesters. She began to resonate the harmonics through several dozen different frequencies a second, the shrill whirring of the implement changing in pitch with every change. After about half a minute she seemed to find the frequency she was looking for and the pitch of the screwdriver’s hum maintained a certain harmony. The Doctor began to move the screwdriver up and down and from side to side, pointing at first one Chester and then the other.

“I’ve managed to isolate the frequency at which the molecular repulsion field within each of your bodies is operating at. Now if I just do this… sorry, but this might hurt for a couple of seconds!” the Doctor warned.

The screwdriver suddenly emitted a piercing shriek and almost in unison both Chesters cried out in agony, clutching their heads, the pain almost driving them to their knees. Then just as quickly it subsided and the shriek of the screwdriver receded to a low hum.

The two Chesters recovered quickly as the pain left them.

“Now,” the Doctor said. “Reach out and touch each other.”

Dark Chester and Light Chester reached out their hands towards each other tentatively at the same time. As their finger-tips touched their natural, metaphysical connection to each other took over and they suddenly found themselves flung forwards into each other as if shoved by invisible hands.

Instead of colliding the two halves merged into one whole until standing before them was only one Chester Russell, still dressed in the superhero’s attire, but the colours had amalgamated into a black and white, yin-yang version of the two original designs.

“Well we can’t call you Dark or Light Speed now can we!” the Doctor chuckled, pleased that her plan had worked.

Chester Russell lowered his helmet back onto his head and smiled.

“Thank you, Doctor. I guess from now on people can just call me Speed.”

He then turned from her and her friends and knelt in front of his daughter who ran into his arms and hugged him as tightly as she had ever hugged anyone before.

“It’s good to have you back, daddy!” Abigail gushed happily.

“It’s good to be back, honey.” He replied as he returned the embrace, a lone tear trickling down his cheek.

“Wait until mom finds out you’re a superhero!” Abigail continued. “She’ll have to take you back now!”

“I don’t think it’ll be that simple, Abby.” Chester replied sadly, “But we’ll work on your mother another time. For now I think we should keep me being a superhero between the two of us, if that’s okay?”

“Okay, daddy. I understand.” Abigail replied and she kissed her father softly on the cheek before disengaging and letting him return to the Doctor and her friends.

“If you’re going to go after the ones that did this to me, then I want in.” Chester told the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled.

“I thought you might say that.” She replied. “No time like the present. Let’s go!”

Abigail watched as her father followed the Doctor and her two friends into the funny blue box.

She wasn’t at all surprised when seconds later it faded away, making that peculiar howling and grinding noise again as it went.

Just as the TARDIS had finally blinked from existence Abigail’s mother Peggy decided to come out and check on her daughter.

“Is everything alright out here, honey?” her mother asked, and then she saw the man sized crater in the lawn that had been left there by Abigail’s father.

Peggy’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

“What on Earth has been going on out here?” she demanded.

For a moment Abigail was lost for words as she remembered that her dad being a superhero was going to be a secret for now. Then she saw that Trojan was having fun digging in the crater, trying to bury his ball.

“I’m really sorry, mom.” Abigail smiled sheepishly. “I swear I only turned my back on him for five minutes!”

 

High up in orbit the occupants of the spherical spaceship were in a state of panic.

“They are on their way here!” one of the creatures rasped, its tentacles writhing in anxiety.

“They could not possibly find us! We are safe!” the other creature tried to reassure its fellow even though its own protuberances were oozing excess slime.

“You delude yourself. You saw for yourself how advanced the female alien was!” came the panicked creature’s reply.

As if to prove it correct the control room suddenly echoed with the familiar howling and grinding that they had heard previously whilst monitoring the experiment on Earth. The blue shape of the police box manifested within the centre of the control room and both creatures practically collided with each other in their efforts to ooze towards the only available exit.

The door to the TARDIS opened as the two creatures were attempting to squeeze both of their gelatinous frames through the same narrow doorway.

“Going somewhere, were you?” the Doctor asked casually as she emerged from the police box, closely followed by Chelsea, Allan and Chester.

“No, no… not at all!” the first blob gurgled, slime pouring from what passed for a brow on its amorphous ‘head’.

Chester strode purposefully towards the two trapped organisms, causing them to renew their efforts in trying to pass through the door. This time they were both able to ooze enough slime to enable them to ‘pop’ through the opening and into the corridor beyond.

“Please do not hurt us!” the second blob pleaded. “We meant no harm!”

“Why did you do this to me?” Chester demanded.

Realising that they were not about to be on the receiving end of a no holds barred beat down the two aliens seemed to relax a little.

The first creature tangled and untangled its tentacles nervously as it decided where to begin with its story.

“For many years now your planet has been transmitting what your people call ‘television’. Over time those transmissions have traversed the light years and reached our planet.” The creature began.

“We love your television!” the second creature gurgled in excitement as if it could barely contain itself any longer, tentacles flailing wildly.

The first creature undulated its gelatinous body from side to side and the Doctor realised that it was nodding in agreement.

“It’s true. We all do. All of it! But Frlarvel and myself have a particular fondness for the ‘superhero movies’!” it continued.

“Batman, Spider-Man, Superman!” Frlarvel chanted the names reverently. “They are all truly wonderful. We enjoyed them so much that Gorshparfel and I had to come here and meet one for ourselves!”

Gorshparfel’s mass seemed to collapse in on itself and it almost oozed into a puddle at their feet.

“But when we arrived we found that there are no real superheroes on your world.”  Its voice drifted up sadly from the floor. Then suddenly the ooze sprang up again and reformed, Gorshparfel’s mouth contorted into what could only have been a smile. “So we decided to make one of our own!”

“By kidnapping me?” Chester riled incredulously.

“Yes!” Gorshparfel’s mass sank again. “We are truly very sorry.”

“We found you wandering that lonely road that night, a broken man.” Frlarvel continued.

Gorshparfel’s mass rose slowly as it took up the story again.

“Everybody knows that any real superhero is born of tragic circumstances; Batman’s murdered parents, Spider-Man’s murdered uncle… you have not lost anyone to murder, but we were sufficiently moved by your predicament to take pity on you and gift you with the power to become a hero.”

“And what about Dark Speed?” the Doctor wondered.

“Every hero needs a nemesis.” Gorshparfel explained. “We thought what better nemesis could there be, but one that was made up of his own darker half?”

“We always did love those episodes where the hero has to fight his evil twin!” Frlarvel gushed enthusiastically.

“So you’ve turned this man’s life upside just for your own personal entertainment?” the Doctor berated them angrily.

“We are very sorry.” Gorshparfel insisted. “To make him normal again would be child’s play if this is what you would have us do?”

The Doctor was about to answer, but Chester laid a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She looked into his eyes as if she could read his intent upon his face and nodded once in agreement.

“Since you gave me this power I have been able to do a lot of good as Light Speed.” Chester told the aliens. “If it’s all the same to you I would like to keep these powers and continue to do good deeds.”

“Of course!” Gorshparfel quivered with excitement. “The powers are yours!”

“And I have one other proposition, if you’ll hear me out?” Chester continued.

“Tell us and we will comply if we can.” Frlarvel prompted.

“As you will no doubt know,” Chester began. “Every hero needs allies and a place of headquarters. Superman has his Fortress of Solitude and Batman has his Bat Cave. Batman also has Oracle to act as his eyes and ears in and around Gotham City, relaying information directly to him as and when he needs it. How do you guys feel about being my eyes and ears?”

“Our spaceship could be your headquarters!” Frlarvel exclaimed.

“And we could monitor the Earth from up here and inform you of when and where you are needed!” Gorshparfel continued.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking of.” Chester nodded with a smile. “So what do you say, fellas?”

The two aliens oozed forward excitedly, their tentacles wavering like dancing cobras.

“Oh yes! The honour would be entirely ours!” Gorshparfel clamoured.

“We will do it!” Frlarvel agreed.

The Doctor clasped her hands and rubbed them together gleefully.

“Splendid!” she exclaimed. “Well I am so glad that’s all sorted. You all must have plenty that you’d like to discuss about how you’re going to go about all this! Don’t let us keep you. Come along, Chelsea… Allan… it’s about time we were going.”

The Doctor grabbed her two friends by the arm and started to pull them towards the TARDIS.

“Please tell me that you’re going to take us somewhere exciting this time! Somewhere a little less melodramatic!” Chelsea pleaded as she was shoved unceremoniously through the open door of the police box.

“I’ll let you pick the next destination, I promise!” the Doctor told her. “I’ve had enough cheese to last me at least until my next but one regeneration!”

Chester caught the Doctor’s eye just as she was about to follow her friends in.

“Thank you, Doctor, for everything that you have done for me.” The superhero called to her as he attempted to disengage himself from a rather slimy embrace with his new friends.

“You have a new chance at life.” The Doctor told him. “Don’t mess it up. I might come back one day to see how you’re getting on, but personally I think you’ll do just fine. Just promise me one thing!”

“Name it.” Chester replied.

“Try to cut down on the cheese! For me?”

Chester chuckled.

“I’ll see what I can do, Doc.” He promised with a wink.

“That’s all I can ask.” The Doctor grinned with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Then she ducked into the TARDIS closing the door behind her.

A howling and grinding noise pierced the air and the TARDIS faded off into the vortex to seek out their next adventure.

 

**The End**


End file.
